We celebrate independence.

We’re taught to strive for it. To hold our own. To not be a burden. To prove—quietly or loudly—that we can do it all without needing anything from anyone.

And many of us are really, really good at it.

We manage the logistics, the emotions, the work, the care. We pride ourselves on being strong, self-reliant, capable.

Why Fawning Isn’t Kindness—It’s a Survival Strategy.

We often think of people-pleasing as a harmless quirk—a sign of kindness.

Being easygoing, flexible, helpful, accommodating.

But for many of us—especially those who grew up in environments where love or connection felt conditional—people-pleasing isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a nervous system response and it’s how we survived.

What keeps us stuck in our tracks?

Fear.

What causes us to avoid trying something new—even when we feel deeply drawn to it?

Fear.

What’s the most common root of procrastination?

You guessed it: fear.

Fear has a powerful grip

There’s a line in The Art of Possibility that always makes me smile (and exhale):

“Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously.”

I used to joke that I had Serious Disease. Not that I had a serious disease, but the habit of taking life—and myself—a little too seriously.

So when I came across Rule #6 in Rosamund and Benjamin Zander’s book, I laughed out loud. It gave me a fresh,

Raise your hand if you’ve ever stuffed an emotion. Yep—two hands up for me!

It’s something we’ve all done—and probably learned to do well. Modern life teaches us to keep it together. Smile. Be productive. Don’t “overreact.” And when the hard stuff hits? We’re expected to quietly deal with it later—if at all.

But over time, this habit of emotional stuffing takes a serious toll.

For me, it cost at least 3.5 years of living fully—

I first discovered the power of nervous system healing in 2012.

Up until then, I had no idea that calming my system could become the foundation for healing on so many levels—physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually.

That year, I was in crisis. A slip-and-fall injury left me unable to sit for more than a few minutes at a time.

I have been on quite a journey and wanted to share my tale in case it helps inspire any of you who are living with chronic physical conditions.

As you probably know, I contracted Covid early on in the pandemic (May 2020) which became Long Covid with significant, debilitating symptoms that lasted until October 2023.

My life-long journey with my intuition and ability to see what most cannot, has had lots of ups and downs. About 2 years ago, I decided to fully “come out of the closet” with my strong connection with the “woo-woo” and start using my gift directly with my clients, so I could more deeply help and support them to cultivate the work and lifestyle they love.

Revealing myself in this way took a lot of courage

As we emerge from Winter and the Pandemic, take a quiet moment, a deep breath, and ask your heart:

"What's one thing I'd love to focus on myself for this season?"